You know, I have been explaining to you guys about my job and the hazards of it. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, so I guess a video is worth a million? This video shows me carrying a Geiger Meter (device that measures radiation) that you always see in movies. In my job, I have to use it every time a radiation source will be used. To check before and after status of a job site and make sure we don't leave the source behind. Or worse case scenario, a leak. And that can very very bad.
Radiation kills a person slowly over time if they are over exposed, but that takes ALOT of exposure from a source. Back in my Libya camp, the locals there runs helter-skelter every time we take a source out BUT when we are assembling Guns by loading High Explosives into them. They stand right by it SMOKING. Geez...they are scared shit of something that will not kill them even in the long run but they are carefree about something that will blow their head clear off their shoulder instantly? Go figure...
Took this video when on a job in Kazakhstan last trip. Gotta tilt your head a bit, forgot bout the angle when taping this :P
The big orange container holds the Neutron source, the smaller is the Density. Neutron is deadlier as it sort of disassemble H2O,which what 90% of what the human body consists of, by knocking the 'H' off.
Beep...Beep...Beep....Uh-oh!
Is this the cause of Malaysia's problems?
Was surfing the net and some forums, stumbled upon an interesting topic, education level comparison between Malaysian and Singaporean ministers. I'm not sure they are true or not, use Google to find out if you want.
The circulated email is making our Malaysian ministers a joke.....true? You decide.
Singapore and Malaysia's Minister
PM Lee Hsien Loong
Cambridge University - First Class Honours (1974)
Harvard University - Masters (1980)
PM Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi
University of Malaya - Bachelor of Arts Honours (1964)
SM Goh Chok Tong
University of Singapore - First Class Honours (1964)
Williams College , USA - Masters (1967)
Deputy PM Dato' Sri Najib Razak
University of Nottingham - Bachelor of Arts Honours (1974)
MM Lee Kuan Yew
Cambridge University - First Class Honours (1949)
Minister of Foregn Affairs Syed Hamid Albar
(can someone tell me his univeristy? )- Bachelor of Arts [ UITM ]
Minister for Law Prof. S Jayakumar
University of Singapore - Bachelor of Law Honours (1963)
Yale Univerity - Masters (1966)
Ministry of Works- Dato' Seri Samy Vellu
(Education Unknown) [ Form 6, Anderson School ]
Minister for Home Affairs Wong Kan Seng
University of Singapore - Bachelor of Arts & Business Admin (1977)
London Business School - Masters (1979)
Ministry of International Trade & Industry Rafidah binti Aziz
Universiti Malaya - Bachelor of Arts Honours
Minister for Foreign Affairs BG George Yeo
Cambridge University - Double First Class Honours (1976)
Harvard Business School - MBA w/ Distinction (1985)
Minister of Agriculture Muhyiddin Yassin
(Education Unknown) [ Polytechnic Ungku Omar ]
Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang
Cambridge University - First Class Honours w/ Distinction (1976)
Harvard University - Masters (1986)
Ministry of Domestic Trade Shafie Apdal
(Education Unknown) [ Form 5, Failed English ]
Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean
University of Manchester - First Class Honours (1976)
Imperial College, London - Masters w/ Distinction (1977)
Minister of Education Hishammuddin Hussein
(Education Unknown) [ Bachelor of Arts, Social Science ]
Minister for Education Tharman Shanmugaratnam
London School of Economics - Bachelor of Arts
Cambridge University - Masters
Harvard University - Masters
Minister of Home Affairs Radzi bin Sheikh Ahmad
(Education Unknown) [ Kolej Islam Malaysia , Diploma ]
My First White Christmas....alone....
Blessed Belated Christmas Everyone!
Well, on the morning of Christmas I got a big surprise. It was snowing! Don't wanna sound like a 'sua-ku', this IS my first white Christmas.....even my first snowing winter. Previous winters I spent was either back in Malaysia which is usually raining or in Libya which is cold but no snow.
First white Christmas and I am spending it alone....sad eh? Well, what to do....work is work. I flew out of Almaty early in the morning and arrived in Kzylorda around noon. Once landed, the captain announced that the temperature outside was -19°C....I thought I heard -9°C but once I stepped out of the plane...it immediately hit me.....my face had a biting feeling....ears and fingers were in pain. You think that is bad huh? Wait till I tell you about the temperature at my base camp in Kumkol.
A list of my Christmas presents:
1) Nokia N81 8GB from Randi
2) White Christmas
3) Skywards Silver status from Emirates (sorta...)
Yes, apparently I'm short of 135miles but they gave it to me anyways. I guess it must be too close and they decided to give me the status or because I have the returning flight with them. Either way, I have additional perks now. Access to the Business Class Lounge, E-Gate check-in, add luggage allowance and many more. Woot!
Shalom!
My Skywards miles
Feeling heavy waking up this morning....knowing that I'll be flying...again. Another 2 more flights before I'm at my camp. I take a total of 6 flights a month just to get to work and back. And you guys complaining of driving to work. LOL.
My uncle dropped me off at the airport, first time in almost 2 years the airport is not so packed. Weird...maybe because it's a work day. Check in my luggage, 23.5 KG. Not bad...considering the amount of winter clothes I brought...including 2 huge thermal coveralls my uncle gotten me. Having my breakfast at Starbucks...now...typing this while waiting to enter the departure gate. 5hrs of flight and I'll be in Almaty....checked the weather online....it's -3 now. Rainy Snow Mist....hmmm...is that good?
As we drove near the airport, can see the newly built departure terminal from afar. It's huugggee...like a huge caterpillar. It's not open yet but once it does....it'll be hell for someone who gotta walk from one end of the terminal to other. One of either new or the old terminal would be dedicated to Emirates flights. Good news for me.
Oh talking about Emirates, I am so pissed since I knew that my frequent flyer Skywards Tier miles are going to expire by 31st Dec. The tier miles determines which level I'm at....there are 3 levels....Blue, Silver and Gold. To reach Silver level, I have to collect 25,000 tier miles in a year, Gold is 50,000. Apparently I only have 24,865 tier miles!! Short 135 miles to become Silver. Crap! and it's gonna expire end of this year. My next flight is only in January. By then I'll have to start from 0 again. Actually I could get the Gold status if I didn't spend 5 months at home. Being Gold, I get to check in at the First and Business class counter, use the Business Class Emirates lounge at airports and get 30KG of luggage allowance. And maybe...just maybe....get bumped to Business class seats. LOL.
Okay, gotta go now. Shall write more when I'm freezing my arse off in Kazakhstan.
Shalom and Out!
Dubai again....kinda cool
Well dudes and dudettes, halfway again to somewhere. Dubai is always my stopover hub before heading off to a month of work somewhere around the world. Will be heading out to Kazakhstan tomorrow morning, Air Astana....not bad. Better than alot. Weather here is kinda cool, although it's colder same time last year though....Global Warming?
But once I touchdown in Alamaty, the temperature there is currently -15 to -20. Ugghhh...thinking about it makes me shiver. With all the money spent on my winter wear, it better keep me warm and cosy. Although working will be much harder with me dressed looking like the Michelin Tire mascot. You know the white bald marshmallow man?
Good news is that I'll be back in Dubai for the Dubai Festival Sale! woot! Shop! Shop! Shop! I just bought an LV handbag...not for myself of course....for Randi. Luckily I did not buy it back in Malaysia, it's cheaper by RM500 here! cripes! Although LV is NEVER on sale. But I'll be back for their festival sale....almost EVERYTHING is on sale. Up to 75% on all brands. Got my eyes on an Oakley or Victorninox Backpack, some shoes and clothes. Hopefully it'll be a steal.
Gonna go out window shop again....need to get gift ideas for everyone at home. Out!
Ever seen a Rig Floor? a dirty one?
Was clearing up clutter in my computer, thousands of picture files here and there. And stumbled on the videos taken from my last trip to Kazakhstan, videos of the rig floor. It's where all the action is....drilling, pumping....and where I work. Now you all can see how it is on the rig floor. The floor is usually 30-40 feet above ground level. Why is it that high up? Between the floor and the ground level is a huge BOP (Blow-Out-Preventer)....a massive object that retains the pressure in the hole from exploding out is one of it's many uses.
This rig in the video is dirty, not all are this bad...some worse though. There are some rig floors that are organised and clean. Easier to work on.
Crammed Like Sardines!
Saturday morning is usually our lazy sleeping day....but Mike Goh made plans with us earlier for Dim-Sum at his uncle's place in Puchong and to PC Fair afterwards. There was a miscommunication during our drive to breakfast, but we all made it only to find out that his uncle's shop has already closed down. Luckily there was another Dim-Sum shop right next to it, since everyone's famished...we just ate there. Food's not bad....cheap though. Adrian, Eric, Mike Goh, Randi and I....it only cost RM 64. After makan we headed out, Randi drove back to church for puppet practice.
Surprisingly there wasn't much jam heading to KLCC, and plenty of parking. Last year everywhere was bumper to bumper. Anyhoo, we made our way to the convention center and start our sardine packing routine. There were throngs of people there, at least the air-conditioning in the halls were working fine. Thank goodness for that...if not there's gonna be massive "BO" (Body odour lar) problem.
The first few halls were not very interesting 'cept Dell for displaying their new XPS laptops and desktops. And also some promoter girls from other major brands. Got my friends oogling at them. The main event is located at the last hall, which hosts the retailers like MTEC, BESS and Computer War. Lots of other small retailers, they usually offer more unique and cheaper items. I got myself ink refills for my Dell printer for only RM9 and 50pcs Memorex DVDs. I was sooo tempted to get some really cool hardware for my computer but need to be patient till my next big upgrade. Very soon. The guys were looking for cases for their IPods and memory stick drives.
After a long stroll, we headed back to KLCC's Starbucks....where else? LOL. Sat down, relaxing while sipping iced lattes. There is this huge-mungous Christmas tree at the center court of the shopping mall. Biggest I've seen so far in Malaysia. Not bad eh?
Updates! Updates!
It's been soooo long since my last post...yeah I know...I'm lazy. Alot has happened since then. Don't even know where to start. Let me give you the short story. Hmmm...I have been chasing for my salary and rig bonus for the past week or so...the smart alec people in the payroll department seems to have made an error on the swift code, the code tells the banks where the location of the account is. Maybank Malaysia is MBBEMYKL, the douche bag that made the mistake wrote MBBEMYKA which is the code for Labuan's Mayban Berhad. Sheesh. Apparently my money got bounced off Labuan and headed back to New York. And now they are trying to sort it out....and I'm broke! Of all the time to make a mistake.
That's a recent news. Oh....my good friend Anderson and his wife, Zoe went back to China after a short 2 week holiday here. Kinda fun when he's around, we went to a bar called Just Divine, which is co-owned by Randi's brother. A bunch of us got together there and chilled out. It has been 6 years since the last similar event. Long overdue. Although I missed out on the Japanese buffet outing at KLCC. Busy lar.
Just today, the 5 day Vacation Bible School (VBS) at Klang Wesley Methodist Church ended. Randi was one of the coordinator for the event. This event is for sunday school kids, they have bible lessons, games, craft and lots of activities. I sort of helped out for the first 2 days, after that I disappeared into the wind. LOL. I just found out the noise level that 150 children makes. Totally deafening! Even the disco feng-thau speakers loses out! Haha. Glad that's over liao, Randi was poofed after the 5 day event. At least the kids gone back home happy and with bible knowledge.
Oh, just heard that a family friend was denied his Datukship title today, he was invited to accept the Datuk title sometime ago but now being denied it. The reason for his predicament? He was charged in the court of law for stealing a bicycle more than 20 years ago! Back then he was poor, but now he has multiple legitimate businesses and is a respected businessman. A little black mark that happened years ago that you think will not harm you in the future, apparently came back to bite you in the ass. A lesson here people.....Don't get caught! I mean...do good.
Gonna try to update more lah. Wanna play some CS now.
My Nokia N81 8GB
Last night was our grand anniversary celebration. I'm glad that I could be home from Kazakhstan for this. We headed out to Sunway Pyramid, wanted to see the new section of the place that was opened recently. I liked the individual floor concept, each floor has it's own theme. From Egyptian to Asian.
What I wanted to brag is my new toy, a present from Randi. My Nokia N81 8GB cell phone! It was shocked speechless when I opened the very very well wrapped box. The phone was wrapped under 20 sheets of wrapper! But once I got to the box, it was a Kenneth Cole perfume box. I opened it and a black velvet pouch sits inside. In it is my brand new top of the line Nokia N81. I was shocked speechless.
This phone was released just 2 days ago. This is the first time I have a phone like this...I never bought myself any good phones. Yeah..yeah...I'm a cheap ass. LOL. Anyways, this phone rocks! It has 2 speakers to produce stereo music, NGage gaming capability and videos! It has a huge memory, 8GB built in. There are so many cool kinks that I haven't even discovered yet. Just surf to Nokia site if you want to know more. I just want to mess with it now. Oh one more thing.....Jeles lehhh...? LOL.
Home Sweet Home....
Ahhh...After a few days of bouncing off a few countries I've finally landed back home. Arrived 10PM on the 9th. After leaving the camp on the 4th, spent a night at the Hotel Selena Star in Kyzlorda. A little town 3hrs south of the camp, it says on the card that the hotel is a 4-star...which I don't know how they rate it but the waited service at the restaurant was excellent, better than a lot back home.
Then next morning we headed out to the airport for our flight to Almaty. Final destination in Kazakhstan. Got put up in the Otrar Hotel which is at the old part of the city. The hotel faces a park, sort of like a central park in New York but way smaller. One thing about Almaty is that the city is FILLED with trees, there's either an oak tree or some other tree every 7-9 feet apart...on EVERY road there is. Tsk...wish Malaysian would adopt this kind of city landscaping. We went to a nice little place called the American Bar & Grill to have some REAL food after 5 weeks of "confinement". Sank my teeth into a juicy succulent burger and fries. SWEET!!!
Went to the office the next day to drop off some stuff and to collect my flight tickets, met with the ever helpful Yuliya and Maria, without them I think I would still be stuck in somewhere in Kyzlorda. We got the driver to drop us off at the MegaMall in Almaty, their biggest shopping mall. Not bad actually, they have a nice food court which serves food I wish our Malaysian mall food court would.
At Dubai, met up with my brother and my uncle. Haven't seen them in months. It was nice to have a little gathering. Good thing that my flight plans were changed and I got bounced off Dubai before KL. Stayed with my brother in his apartment in Abu Dhabi. His apartment have a view overlooking the sea and the naval base. I got some pictures of a naval transport and a destroyer. In the night, we brothers went out to a bar to unwind and share some working tales. He brought me to a nice bar called Rock Bottom, which has a live band playing. And this live band isn't the ordinary ones we have back home...which is kinda lame. But this band in Rock Bottom really rocked the place. What a night. Sadly, I can only stay for 2 nights, the last night we spent having quality time...and BBQ time with my uncle and his family. My uncle setup his BBQ grill and grilled some nice grub. Awesome food! Good thing is, I get to spend some time with my cousins...Melanie and little Max. Max was teething and drooling all over the place...and Melanie is starting to talk...a lot. LOL.
The next morning, I had to drag myself off the bed and pack up. I was kinda heavy hearted at the airport. Feeling hard to leave my brother. Well at least I would get to see him again on my next trip back to Kazakhstan. It was a long but comfortable flight in the 777. The flight was full but there was an empty seat next to me, which gives me more space to relax.
When the plane landed, my heart started to race. So excited to be back home...actually excited to see my family. Randi was there waiting for me...what an awesome sight. Mom and Dad was waiting at home. We went out for late dinner at Kayu's nearby.
Home Soon...
I just came back from another all-nighter, didn't sleep for 24hrs. A long job with all the tools being ran. Very chilly also, dropped to -4 around midnight. Been quite awhile since last posted. Didn't have much to tell except working details. The time has finally come, I'll be heading home in 3days. Will be spending 2 nights in Alamaty. Stretch my legs a bit around the city and get some real food. I have been eating weird tasting, bland, same crap different day kind of stuff. And I am getting sick of it. It's always just beef and potatoes. Time to find some real food, but my craving is for home cook food and our local Malaysian food! Just thinking about it makes me fidgety.
Time to get packing. Can't wait to get away from this place. Just 3 more days! WOOHOO!
Slow Week....Bored.....
This week is kinda slow...no jobs at all, a rig had equipment problems and another is drilling at a snail pace...only 20meters in the last 24hrs. Last week here was kinda hectic...with jobs back to back...everyday. Pulled all nighters for a couple of days. From rigs to rigs. What I don't like is the jobs that happens at night. Middle of the nights, the temperature drops to 0 or 5 degrees. Not that I mind with my handy terrorist hat. LOL. But it's the wind that gets to me. The wind chill is kinda high in during the nights as winter approaches.
Well, I will be back here during the middle of winter. Hopefully I can survive, I am from a tropical climate country. And previously worked in the hottest place on earth! And now working so near Siberia! Last winter the lowest temperature recorded was a low -42!! Practically the rigs frozen. Steaming the equipment barely worked.
Another Cold Day in the Oilfields
Another day, another Tenge. Not much to do these few days, still waiting on jobs to come along. This camp I'm in has nothing much but at least the Petro Kazakhstan camp has something to offer. Every alternate day, a few of us head over to their gym to workout. Kill some time and get in shape.
There are some activities planned by the local people here...soccer, volleyball and even the occasional sauna. A little room that is usually packed. Something to look forward to after a long cold night of working. Temperature is dropping lower after a few days...a few nights ago it was around 0 degrees. Last winter was one of the worst ever in Kumkol...it was around -42. Which all the rigs have to cease operations...in such cold temperatures, the pipes and structure tend to freeze and become brittle. Steam is useless to warm them up.
Let's see what else is there to do later in the day.
Rocket Launch From Kazakhstan
Apparently I had brought along my USB cable. It was hidden somewhere in my luggage bag. Here is the video that I manage to capture with my digital camera. Removed the sound for better bandwidth. Incredible sight.
Greetings From Kazakhstan
It's been 2 weeks since I left home to come here. Smack in the middle of the 9th largest country in the world. People here are friendly though. But my base camp is place to be desired....literally. LOL.
I had to come online and post something that I have seen 20minutes ago. The most fascinating spectacle....I get to witness what you guys in Malaysia can only witness through the television screen. I was staring up in the sky in awe as our first Malaysian astronaut being catapulted to space. The rocket was launch from the west, from what I gather, the launch was only 350KM away from where I was.....it went all the way to the eastern horizon and disappeared. As it was climbing, I can see sparkling debris falling from the sky. It's just beautiful.
Now that is something that you really don't see everyday.....or your lifetime. LOL.
What a blessing to be here eh?
I took wonderful pictures and videos of it but guess what....I forgot to bring my camera USB cable....so I couldn't upload it to gloat!!!!
Prison Break Season 3
It is finally here.....the 3rd season of an exciting tv series that has everybody glued to their chairs. The first episode titled Orientación was aired in the States on the 17th but thanks to some good samaritan we get to watch it almost on the same day.
If you haven't watch any of it...I suggest start from the first season. Most exciting! And yes....the charming Wenworth Miller.
My Tounge is Fat!
I have never visited the dentist much, maybe once a year for a checkup. Apparently I have very strong teeth and gums. So I never had to face any drills, syringe or even big shiny pliers....till today. And my first had all of the above used at the same time....to remove one of my wisdom tooth that is embedded beneath my gums.
Kinda nervous at first....but hey.....I have been through worse.....and I mean much much worse. After sticking me with 2 syringe full of painkillers, the left side of my face began to tingle and soon I don't feel my cheeks anymore. And here comes the scalpel to cut open the gum.
The wisdom tooth is embedded quite deep and the doc had to use a drill and cut it into 2 pieces to remove it. Alot of drilling and it vibrates my skull. He used a plier and yanked both pieces out and begin to stitch it close.
It wasn't a bad experience....I was in good hands today. And now I have "chipmunk cheeks" for a few days. Haha. Talking funny and spitting blood. Cool.
Selamat Berpuasa.....
Last night was the first Buka Puasa of the month of Ramadhan. A friend Randi and I invited us to Hotel Istana KL for their Buka Puasa Buffet, she works there as the Marketing Comm Manager. FREE makan! Another good perk! Took quite awhile to get there though....with everyone trying to get home for buka puasa.
The buffet is at the Taman Sari brasserie, nice cosy place. As we walked into the restaurant, a local band performing Ghazal, not sure what is that but it was very cultural. When we were greeted and I panned the restaurant, it's amazing big the place was. They are serving more than 100 dishes each day with 8 different menus rotating throughout the month! Sweet! And that makes the RM89++ per person well worth it.
When it was time to makan, we went around surveying the dishes....very impressive especially their presentation. Local, Chinese, Japanese, Italian and even Mediterranean. And at the dessert section, all sorts of cakes and pastries. They even have a chocolate fondue fountain with assortments of fruits and marshmallows for dipping.
After 3 rounds of food....and desserts. I can barely move. Haha. The food was great. Sadly I forgot to bring along my camera for some snapshots. You guys would be drooling all over the keyboard with those pictures. I definitely recommend Hotel Istana for their buffet.
Not filled with Wisdom after all...
I finally got everything settled to go to work next week Wednesday....flight tickets all booked but I had to postpone the my flight to the following week. Why? Woke up this morning and felt a mind throbbing pain at the back of my mouth. Thought I was just heaty, but the pain got worse and my gum started to swell to a point where I can't even close my mouth. By now the pain was excruciating! Even my head hurts.
Went straight to the dentist, after an X-Ray the doctor says that I have a wisdom tooth making a punching bag out of my molar. It grew sideways and pressing against the next molar. And now there is a little infection which is causing the swelling and pain.....whole lotta pain! And I can't even eat now. Cripes! After seeing the X-Ray (which is only 2 square inch)....very small and cute...looks something like the picture below.
Now I gotta take some meds to curb the swelling for the surgery next week. Was kinda hoping that it can be done today. Gonna remove 2 wisdom tooth, the one at the top gotta go too. Fear of future complications. Aiyai yai. Shall take some gory pics of the surgery.
AC leaky leaky...drippy drippy
Was sleeping one night and a sound rudely awoken me. The sound of water dripping....practically sounds like a M4A1 with the silencer attached! HAHA. Turns out that my air-conditioner is taking a "leak" in the middle of the night. Sheesh!
Apparently it was clogged....in dire need of service. Called the technicians but they cannot come over till Monday. Cripes!
They arrived today....my saviors! They have a new technique nowadays, they service the blower unit while it's attached to the wall....putting a canvas and channeling the excess water and dirt into a pail tied to the ladder. At least it gets the work done.
And now.....my room feels like winter in the Sahara! Brings back memories.
Happy Birthday Malaysia! Merdeka!
MERDEKA! MERDEKA! MERDEKA! 50 years ago, Malaysia was independent! And we have came a long way. Anyhoo, it's been many years I have even stepped out of my house for a Merdeka celebration. Usually just stay at home for a movie or at mamak with family and friends. This year is different, there was a International Fireworks Competition held at Putrajaya. And since there will be nice fireworks on display, why not go and enjoy it. The news reported that there were estimated 100,000 people at Putrajaya on the eve of Merdeka!
At 9:15pm, we were on the Kesas Highway almost reaching the Cyberjaya/Putrajaya exit. And there were was a looooong line of cars. I was thinking.....crap! Since we're already here, might as well bear with it. Turns out that the line of a few hundred cars were all queuing for the cash booths. The smart tag line was clear! In your face you cheapskates! LOL. No hard feelings eh?
Didn't look too good when we pulled up near the overhead bridge just before turning into the Putrajaya city center road. We decided to go a little ways and make our way back.....so that we can leave immediately after the fireworks. And it turns out to be a wise decision made! At midnight, there were a thousand cars lined up all the way from the city center to where we were. Luckily we were on the other side of the road.
We waited for the fireworks till 12AM, and all of the sudden.....little flares shot up from the horizon.....and BOOM! It has begun! The pyrotechnics on that night was prepared by Japan. It was spectacular! With fireworks that explodes into flowers particularly our Bunga Raya....just beautiful, stars, saturn-shapes and even hearts! Some were so big that when it explodes in the sky, the sound and shockwave took 2 seconds to reach us and even sets off some car alarms! The best was the last string of fireworks.....massive.
It was the best Merdeka ever! Happy Birthday Malaysia!
iPhone Unlocked!
Some dude in Malaysia has it!! Jeless!!No, that is not mine....yet. LOL. I have been eyeing on the iPhone since the design was released some time ago. And when it launched in the US, I was thinking of getting a friend to get me one and courier it to me. But to my dismay, turns out that the iPhone is sim-locked with AT&T which means it only works with that service provider. News of the availability of the iPhone in Asia is 2008.
But now my friends! Everyone can own it! A six-man team called iPhoneSimFree has released a software that can unlock the iPhone carrier's lock! No need to mess with the hardware. It has been tested and reviewed by the experts at engadgets.com.
"We can confirm with 100% certainty that iPhoneSIMfree.com's software solution completely SIM unlocks the iPhone, is restore-resistant, and should make the iPhone fully functional for users outside of the US", said hardware expert Ryan Block.
...and that is good news to us all eh? Now all I need is an iPhone.
Adieu Mon Frère
Haih....just came back from the airport. My brother has left for Abu Dhabi, back to work. A month ago I was worried that I wouldn't get to see him as I was suppose to leave for Kazakhstan too. But turns out that he came and left.....and I'm still here. At least we get to spend some time together as a whole family. Hopefully when he's back for CNY 2008, I will be able to meet him in Malaysia for my break.
We all miss him dearly....pray that he gets his rotation.
Young and Dangerous?
It's been awhile since I last posted on me blog. A busy month. Although the funeral was a lengthy ordeal, I managed to get through it. Seen alot of stuff during that 5 days....some funny....some weird. But the thing that caught my attention was on the 3rd night, about a hundred of gangstas came to pay their last respect....Hong Kong style! I only thought it only happens in the movies! Friends of the family.
What a hectic month....
It's been a long 2 weeks....a little of joy and grief. A week ago, my family and I went on a 5 days trip down to Singapore. Had a lot of fun and had very little sleep. Some holiday huh? Will post more of this event later....with pictures.
And this week, things didn't turn out quite good....my grandmother passed away yesterday afternoon. Although we weren't very close, it's sad. I have no idea how the chinese customs are about these things....apparently we are holding a 5 day tribute to my grandmother before she is laid to rest.
Will write more after I get back from the night ceremony....a lengthy process.
Out.
MyKad....Never Leave Home Without It!
It's amazing that our Malaysian police force can go to great lengths to persecute and prosecute a person who did not commit murder, rape nor armed robbery. This is a case of a 19 year old teenager, for his only "crime" is failure to present his identity card to a police officer.
Being detained, charged in a court, slapped with a RM1000 bail and now in a prison cell for months awaiting for a retrial. Wish the gomen can show such tenacity towards "real" criminals. Good effort....wrong reasons.
Remember to bring your MyKad wherever you go!
Full story: The STAR: Teen detained for months after failing to produce MyKad
Get In Line!
A nice read and a nice reminder of Malaysian "un-common courtesy". Refer back to my old post.
Source Malay Mail
04 August, 2007
I CANNOT stand people who jump the queue. Whenever anyone commits this transgression in my presence, I take a deep breath and look at it as a personal invitation to do some scolding. One time, this well-dressed man cut my line to pay a parking ticket. When I realized what was happening, I marched to the paybooth to point out what he had done. Without even looking at me, he curtly said, “I’m in a hurry.”
Big mistake. I made sure I blocked his exit path and expended some of his precious time to let him know that other people’s time mattered too.
I am a bit impetuous, and looking back it was lucky he didn’t shove me out of the way or worse, smack me. But I strongly feel people shouldn’t think their time matters more than others.
The only time I held my tongue was when I was about to pay a parking ticket. I was about to tick off the rude man who cut my line, when I noticed his young son staring at me. On one hand, I could have politely reminded him that he was doing wrong. But I was concerned that witnessing his daddy getting reprimanded might somehow irrevocably scar the boy’s psyche. I kept quiet, and if the situation ever repeated itself, I still don’t know what I’d do.
While you might grumble when people cut your line, here’s what to do the next time it happens.
1. If it’s a case of someone letting his friends cut the line, then tap the person on the shoulder, and in the most friendliest, loudest voice, politely ask that since he’s being so generous, you’d like to be in front of him too. He will most likely be defensive. Smile. Ask again, and again, until he is embarrassed.
2. If it’s someone who is trying to inch into the line, then inform him where the line starts. During a warehouse sale my colleagues did this, when a young girl cut into the line of those who had been queuing for close to an hour. What bugged her was that while a pregnant lady and a mother with a toddler could line up, the young girl chose to cut in. The offended party immediately directed a volley of words towards the social sinner, throwing the line, “You don’t deserve a Malaysian passport.” It caught on as a catchphrase in the office for a while.
Oh, in case you’re the one planning to cut the line, then just remember this. You might just be unfortunate enough to do it in front of me.
Sujartha K.
Assistant editor, Lifestyle
Audi R8 Ciplak
Left: Audi R8 / Right: Kia CoupeWanting to compete against BMW, Lexus and Mercedes. Kia came up with their very own "supercar", a new 2.0L turbocharged engine that is being developed by Hyundai. A lookalike of the Audi R8 which cost only a fraction of it. The fact that the coupe bears some resemblance to an Audi is not by chance, since Kia tasked ex-Audi designer Peter Schreyer to design it.
So for all the Wira-Evo-Wannabe owners, soon you'll be able to own a Kia-R8-Wannabe.
A Day With the Fishies
It was me gal's birthday a few days ago so I took her to a special place....somewhere different. The Aquaria at KLCC. I was surprised at how well maintained the place was, for a Malaysian tourist spot. The fishes were all fat! Which means they are really well taken care of.
We arrived there at about 3:40PM, hoping to catch the shark feeding but had just missed it. Anyways, we still got the whole place to explore. The entrance fee for MyKad holders is RM 28 but with e-coupons I printed out from their website, we got RM2 off per ticket. Nice.
Started the "expedition" with the DNA Pool, where 3 shallow tanks is filled with docile sea animals for visitors to touch. When I saw a pool filled with sharks....baby sharks to be exact...I immediately stick my hand in and stroke them little buggers. Soft, smooth and squishy! Me gal joined in the fun, she grabbed one of them long enough for me to take a snapshot.
First section is the turtle and terrapin tanks, with all our local variety of armored swimmers. Such majestic creatures, swimming gracefully with their calm look. Can't imagine people would slaughter them for their shells.
The rainforest section has little display cases with smaller and more elusive animals. Reptiles and Amphibians. 2 frogs caught my attention, one is HUGE! and the other is weird and slimy looking. Cool but weird!
Can you spot the geckos?
The part I was looking forward to the whole trip was the 90metre underwater tunnel! It even has a travelator! This is a gigantic fish tank that houses all sorts of marine life that you will only see in documentaries. From Napoleon fishes to SandTiger sharks. We felt that we were really scuba diving and the sharks were so close that we can almost feel it.....creepy! There were a couple of sharks that are really big, up to 10feet long...or even longer! With rows of sharp teeth!
A little ways further, a section for the weird and wonderful. And it really is, there was a little cylindrical tank with floating seashells....to my surprise they were Nautilus...the living fossils! What a sight. They survived unchanged for millions of years! They look like aliens with tentacles and BIG eyes.
What an experience! I'm glad that I brought her to aquaria, something that we both can enjoy and experience. There were many more pictures that I didn't upload and many more things that we saw. Just a review and our little expedition.
Long Awaited Family Reunion
Ahhh.....what a day. My brother came back last nite from Abu Dhabi, mom and dad have not seen him since February. He's been working there for almost 2 years but I have met him in Dubai occasionally.
But now he's back for a full month! Long holiday. At least I get to spend some time with him before I leave for Kazakhstan. Yeah, I received my LOI a couple of days ago....visa will be ready soon.
In addition, my aunt from Singapore is back too. Been going out makan and lepak-ing for a couple of days now. Lack of sleep! LOL. Supposed to be relaxing eh? Anyhoo, this is the best time. Being able to meet a close family member who is away for a period of time is......ecstatic!
Remember guys....treasure your loved one's company. Make the most of it everyday.
Mouse Transformers!!
I just gotten a new gadget to tinker with and it's FREE! A gift from my gal which she got it from a Sony launch...Oh the perks! Checked it online and found out the price of this little wonder....RM 299!!
The Sony Vaio 2 in 1 Mouse and Phone is a very nifty piece of hardware. It sits on my mousepad clicking away but when there's a phone call coming in from Skype....the mouse "transforms" into a phone! How cool is that! Only problem is that now I can't do anything when the mouse is a phone. The designers at Sony must be fans of Transformers.
This little contraption is suitable for people on the go...like myself...who has a laptop. If I am talking on the Vaio Phone, I still can use my touchpad to navigate. The mouse looks very sleek and fashionable, as expected from Sony. The middle of it's body is a strip of chromed metallic finish with a scroll button as volume when in phone function.
When a call comes in, an LED at the top of the mouse blinks. It also has hands free mode, to activate it I just press a button on it's side and it automatically raises the handset to a 45 degree angle. And I just speak into it. Cool eh?
Hands Free modeAnything and Whatever....
What you wanna drink? Hmmm....whatever-lah. (sounds familiar?)
When you ask someone for suggestion on where to eat or a what drinks they want to order....the most common reply is Anything-lah or Whatever-lah. I find myself saying the same words frequently when my parents ask me what I want to eat for dinner.
And for those people who can't decide and love to use these words when asked on what to drink....beware because you might get what you ask for....literally.
A Singaporean company came up with drinks labeled Whatever and Anything for people that cannot decide their thirst quenching liquids. Upon buying these cans, you won't know what it flavor it contains. Sort of like a "tikam"....Haha. Randi brought back 2 canned drinks that surprised me....haven't tried them yet though.
Counter Strike Clan member
Many years of rigorous training and countless hours spent in a cybercafe paid off.....sort off. Was playing online today in a local server and was "scouted" by a local clan. The [MP.s] clan. Requesting me to join their clan as a member....and I did. It's not yet official though. And at the same time....my counter strike kaki friend....Mage...was also invited to join the clan. Cool!
Now it's gonna be serious. More training and planning.
Do you smelllll what is burning?
Walked out of my room and in a single whiff, I smelt something burnt or was burning. I went and check the nearest wall power point....seems OK. Sniffed my way into my neighboring room and the smell was stronger there. Looked into my computer casing and saw that the fan was not moving....Uh-oh....there was soot everywhere. The whole PC innards was covered with it. Apparently my power supply blew up...literally...spewing black soot through both the inside and outside of the openings.
That computer has served me well, I never let it have a good rest for the past 2 years....and it has finally call it quits.
I hope that my hardwares were not fried in the process. So many downloaded....ummm....freewares in the hard disks. Will check it tomorrow for survivors.
Anyone seen the movie Borat?
Ahhh....land of the best caviars. Just received an email from my boss today....telling me to get a visa for Kazakhstan....cos I'm going there for my training! Well, I have been bugging them to send me for some training....so I don't mind that. As long I survive there. Will be there in time for Autumn which will be a cold.
My Dell Inspiron 1520
It has finally arrived! My spanking brand new Dell Inspiron 1520! They delivered it earlier than said, which is a good thing. I couldn't sit in the house waiting for it....so excited. I slowly opened the box and Voila!....White and smooth. Huge though.
With the 15.4" screen and the 9-cell battery, it is quite heavy. A little thick but this is NOT a business laptop so don't compare it with business or Ultra Mobile versions, with it's configurations....it is suitable for a replacement desktop and for gamers on the move.
My specs:
T7100 1.8Ghz 800FSB
2GB 667Mhz Rams
120GB SATA HDD
15.4" WXGA (1280x800) with TrueLife
NVidia 8600M GT 256MB
The only complain that I have so far is the LCD bleeding....it is quite noticeable from a certain angle. But not so bad. The brightness level is high....you can increase it more within the Nvidia control panel, practically turned my whole screen white with it. The viewing angle of the screen is quite good, I ran a HD quality anime and view it from the side angle and it still looks good. My monitor is just WXGA 1280x800, but to me....it's more than enough.
The bootup speed is blazing!
So far I've just installed FEAR and ran the test.
With both the CPU and Graphics settings on High and VSync ON....63% between 25-40 FPS, the remaining 37% is above 40FPS. Gonna test C&C3 and COH shortly.
Now I just need to get familiarized with the whole Vista shabang.
I have been Phished.....
I received a letter in the mail box the other day. A plain white envelope with my full name and address printed, I thought it is just another junk mail or another bill (sigh). Looking at the stamp, I was surprised to see it's from Madrid. Opening the mail thinking it's a penpal or something. In the envelope, there was a printed letter and an empty form or some sort.
After reading the letter, I was shocked to see that it was a scam. An e-lottery scam! It states that I have "won" Euros 585,510.00!! Woohoo...I'm a millionaire! Yeah...right!
I then realized that my personal details has been phished or being sold to a scam syndicate! What's worse is that the form that comes with the mail requires me to fill in other information such as my bank account number! I have been careful not to divulge any accurate details of myself online, except legitimate sites such as banking sites. They could've gotten my information from any source....even sold by Malaysian companies!
I will get this letter to the appropriate authorities and see what can they do about it. To everyone, just be careful not revealing any information of yourself online or anywhere else. I hope other people receive a similar letter will not be gullible enough to believe it nor respond to it.
My first Dell Laptop....on the way....
Well, I have already placed an order with Dell this afternoon. The new laptop range by Dell, the Inspiron 1520. Comes with 8 funky colors. I originally wanted the Ruby Red, very catchy but the salesperson told me that there is shortage of that color and some other. So I chose Alpine White, which just arrived today.
Now I just have to wait 7 days for it to arrive. Oh, and added RM 52 for a Dell All-In-One Printer worth RM 298. Originally wanted to buy yesterday, but thank god I waited....today the new promotion is way better. FREE upgrade to 2GB Ram along with RM400 OFF.
What made me buy Dell Inspiron 1520? The thing that caught my attention was their new Santa Rosa platform, which gives me the Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT 256MB Dedicated memory!! This is a DX10 GPU! Also the 15.4" Widescreen....I like big screens. And definitely the FREE 2GB memory upgrade.
I'm not a plastic bag....yeah right
Imagine getting a brand new Porsche for 10% of it's original price. Would you get even it comes with a 1000cc engine? I bet you would....just because it's a Porsche!
That was a kind of deal that Anya Hindmarch (a designer brand) had last week, and I was there with Randi and her colleagues. They caught wind of the limited edition Anya Hindmarch's "I'm Not A Plastic Bag" designer bag coming to Malaysia and selling for only RM 55. Everywhere else in the world was sold out the first few hours of it's launch. We were at KLCC at 7AM to queue up but there were already 150 people ahead of us. Everyone waiting for the boutique to open at 10AM.
By 9AM the queue was all the way to the other end of the mall....estimated 1000 people. When the store opened it's doors the queue began to move....inching forward. Some celebrities already gotten their bag and were parading in front of the whole line. Sort of rubbing it in your face. Pissing everyone off.
Within 1 hour after the store opens, it was already sold out. Guess what....we didn't get it! Worst of all, why did they let 1000 people queue up when there is only less than 150 bags available?! That's what smart ass management are like. Those ahead of us were making a ruckus, yelling to the security guards and the employees of the boutique. I was kinda hoping that someone would throw a punch and let hell break loose.
All the waiting for nothing. Only a handful of people manage to get the bag. So we head on home. Empty handed and sleepy. Never again we shall be the customers of Anya Hindmarch.
Oh, as I was looking through the newspapers the next day....I saw my face in the article about the event. Haha. Check out the first picture above taken from the Weekend Mail. See if you can spot me.
Common Courtesy is uncommon
Define
Common [kom-uhn]
1. pertaining or belonging equally to an entire community, nation, or culture; public
Courtesy [kur-tuh-see]
1. a courteous, respectful, or considerate act or expression
Makes up Common Courtesy, something that people nowadays are lack...or may have forgotten. Remember what we were taught in our Pendidikan Moral classes in our primary school days? Much have been lost or forgotten as we grow up living in times of conflict and self-centeredness or insensitivity. Be it towards our family, friends or even total strangers that we meet in a mall. When was the last time you called an old friend and ask how he or she is doing? Or by simply holding a door open for a stranger behind you as you walk through a door?
If you were to call or leave someone a message, you would expect them to reply or response to it, but some people tend to just ignore or give a lame excuse "Oh....forgot lar" or "Aiya, very busy lar". People, a response to a message or a phone call would not take 30minutes of your time. That is what common courtesy has become...uncommon.
The lack of common courtesy in this society causes much conflict amongst individuals.
There are many of us that would like others to treat us with courtesy, but we ourselves do
not treat others with that same courtesy that we would expect others to direct towards us. I see this is very common among us Malaysians. It is due to this ignorant viewpoint that the lack of courtesy towards one another exists. Individuals expect to receive but not to reciprocate which further irritates the problem.
Common Courtesy: Suggestions and wisdom
"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"
Starry starry Night
The sky is clear tonight, at 8pm when I was outside....I saw 4 distinct bright objects in the night sky. 2 at the North-NorthWest horizon and other 2 at the SouthEast. I knew that they were not stars but planets, so I brought out my telescope for a better view.
At the NorthWest, it turns out to be Venus on the left and Saturn on the right. Such magnificent clarity and brightness. Even Venus is only half revealed, it still outshines everything else in the sky.
Venus
At the SouthEast horizon, I could see Jupiter and it's 3 moons clearly! The largest planet in our solar system. At first I thought the 3 objects were distant stars. To look for Jupiter, look for the brightest object at the SouthEast, it is left to an orange star. The orange star next to it is Antares, part of the Scorpius constellation.
The pictures shows exactly how the planets are aligned as seen through my telescope. What you see here is what I saw just now. Tomorrow or the day after that around 8PM, just look towards these horizons and search for them, you will be intrigued.
Autobots....transform and roll out!
Transformers! Now that is THE best movie of all time! Watched it at Gold Class 1U. Great seats and a fantastic movie......perfect combination. The movie was a blast, you have to give credit to minds behind the designs of the transformers movie. The robots, the transformation, the action....such great detail and finesse.
Comfy!Ahhhh...peace at last!
I believe everyone had already seen the Digi ads presenting the Yellow Man? To me, that is the MOST irritating thing I have ever seen. Been on my nerve since the day I laid eyes on it. And now, courtesy of tenjh0tenge...that annoying yellow blob has been stopped....permanently. Peace at last.
Enjoy!!
Yellow got pwned Part 1: Click Here!
Yellow got pwned Part 2: Click Here!
NewMan 4th Anniversary Party
I believe most of you were waiting for this post eh? And here it is!
This is the day that every "new age man" has been waiting for...the NewMan 4th Annual Party held at the The Curve, Damansara. Those that attended both the day and the night event knows that it was a blast! If you don't, you need to get out more often.
Started out around high noon, with all the booth setup and ready. Gatsby, Nivea and TXN booth were ready for the day. The weather was sunny and we are praying that it will stay that way...better that than rain!
Being in between The Curve and Cathay Cineleisure, the event was exposed to everyone walking by there. Curious people ended up buying a copy of the magazine that comes with a goodie bag which contains a Diesel underwear, Nivea face wash, Fisherman's Friend chewing gum, Durex condom (made everyone laughed when I mentioned it) and vouchers. Not bad eh? All these goodies for just RM 8. And you get a spin at the Wheel of Fortune for more goodies like Puma eyewear which cost RM 500! See...told you guys to come early!
The first event on stage during the day were the J-Style boys, a contest by Gatsby to search for the Malaysian-Japanese campur hair stylo guy. They appear on stage to introduce themselves and had a little game. The J-Style winner will be announced during the night party. Alot of really lucky people brought home prizes from the Lucky Draw contest.A short while after that, a catwalk show by the girls from The Extreme Nights. An event that you guys really really missed....should shoot yourselves in the foot for this.
After parading on stage, they came down for photoshoots with the cars and some goobers who were drooling there.
Nice car
While helping out with distribution of the goodie bags, I failed to realize that there were 2 girls all dressed up for Cosplay right at the Gatsby booth. One's a french maid and the other a japanese high school uniform. Can't imagine the attention they drew to their booth. Kawaii! LOL!The day event went on with more prizes to be won and given away. And alot of proud owners of new Diesel underpants. Spanky!
Now this is the event that I was waiting for the whole day! A party with alot of VIPs and free flow of...umm...drinks. Man! I gotta kick myself in the butt for not taking more pictures of the party. Was busy with having a fantastic time with my buddies that I forgot to snap.
By 9:30PM, the place was getting packed with party animals. Both the VIP and Reader's section filled. Party opened with songs by our local artist (forgot his name...will check and repost). He sang some pretty good tunes.
Will continue the post later.....sleepy leh.....
Throughout the party, there were lucky draws with prizes like Puma sunnies, AirAsia vouchers and lots of goodies bags. Emcees were throwing out questions to guests and the first to answer gets prizes too. Vince is the luckiest guy that night, he went home with 2 Diesel underpants (spanky again!) and a 1 year NewMan subscription lucky draw prize! And Eddie who manage to "answer" the last question from the emcee and got a Nivea goodie bag.
Late into the night, we found ourselves a nice spot with 2 tables and we continued with our "kanpei"....sadly Randi was very busy that night, barely had time to stop and take a breather. At least we managed to grab her to take a group photo.
The gang with their "Or Kau"